On Sept. 26th and 27th Barry and I left Abu Dhabi for the weekend and headed to Al Ain and the mountain next to it, Jebel Hafeet. The entire trip was based on the need to make what is referred to here as a "run for the border". Barry's residency is complete but mine is still in process and my visa was about to expire. You can cross into the Sultanate of Oman next to Al AIn in less than two hours from Abu Dhabi. I needed to leave the U.A.E. so I could re-enter and get a new stamp in my passport. Nothing is ever as easy as they explain it to you but after a comedy of errors and wonderful help from an angel in the form of an Omani taxi driver (we couldn't cross the border in our rental) we finally had my new stamp! The rest of the trip was spent relaxing and sight-seeing. Here are a few pictures to enjoy!
Halfway up the "rock" called Jebel Hafeet is a place for sightseers to stop and take pictures. The clearer the day the more of the road you can see. At night it is all lit up!
A Sheihk's house sitting on top (on left), his Majili overlooking the edge on the right.
The second "stop" on the way up, the road is peaking through the haze.
Almost at the tippy top you make a turn off the main road and go around the bend and there sits an amazing resort called the Mercur resort at Jebel hafeet.
A full view.
View from our room to the right.
Looking to the left.
It was wonderful to stay up at the top.
Back in town we went to the Palace Museum. This is the childhood home of the late Sheihk Zayed the 1st. This is inside the compound walls. It is made up of many little homes and majilis (meeting rooms).
The entrance.
The Royal Family tree, sorry ladies only the men get a place on it!!
Date trees in season, full of fruit, inside the Al Ain Oasis. It is the oldest established Oasis is the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and is a working co-operative date farm.
The air was cooler and it was like going back into time. It was a maze of cobblestone roads and old weathered stone walls. So narrow in places that our little Toyota Yaris couldn't fit through!! We had to go in reverse until we reached a turn!
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